“I grant you your dilemma, Mr.Delaney.Can you not see mine?No one life is important in such a matter.If you fail us now, thousands may die.”
“That, if you will pardon me, is your problem alone.My first concern is for my wife.I have sacrificed her happiness for this cause, but I draw the line at throwing away her life.”
Lord Melcham stood, eyed him in cold disgust, then left the room without another word.
Peter broke the silence in fury.“Who the hell was he?He wanted us to wash our hands of Amy and Eleanor!”
Lord Middlethorpe put a steadying hand upon his shoulder.“Forget him.”
He looked at Nicholas, who stood as if lost in unpleasant thoughts.
It was Lucien de Vaux who went over to take a firm grip on Nicholas’s arm.“If we’re going, old fellow, we’d better go.Are you sure,” he asked lightly, “I can’t persuade you to let me try my luck with Chere Madame?My pride rejects the notion that you are irreplaceable.”
Nicholas seemed to come back to reality with a start.“Please,” he said bleakly.“Try.But at this point it scarcely matters…” He looked over at Francis and Peter.“You know I would never have risked Amy for a second.”
“Of course I know that,” Francis said.
It was Peter who burst out, “And what of your wife?By God, you’re a damned cool blackguard!”
“Peter, be quiet,” commanded Lord Middlethorpe.“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
But Nicholas said, “He’s right, Francis.This whole thing has got out of hand and I should have cut loose long ago.It was my arrogance, thinking I was doing something important.It does not seem important at all anymore.”
He went to a mirror, arranged his dashing yellow cravat, and smoothed his jacket.
He turned back.“Look after her, Francis, if anything should happen.”
With that he and his companions swept out of the room and the two men were left alone.
Lord Middlethorpe passed Peter a glass of brandy.“Drink that.We have some waiting to do and that is always the hardest part.”
“Where have they all gone?”
“To Madame Bellaire’s.”
Peter stared.“He’s gone to a damned brothel?”
“It is almost certainly Madame Bellaire who is the cause of the abduction.”
“He must be quite a lover if she’ll go to those lengths to keep him.”
Lord Middlethorpe sighed.“I think I had better tell you what’s been going on.”He quickly outlined the plot and Nicholas’s part in its destruction.“It all seemed simple enough, if a little distasteful.Somehow it hasn’t worked out that way.”
Peter had not mellowed toward Nicholas Delaney.“His amatory abilities weren’t up to the task?”
Lord Middlethorpe shook his head at this.“Madame Bellaire does not appear to complain, but she has been reluctant to betray her fellow conspirators.She wasn’t bewitched into imprudence.She wanted guarantees of her own safety and money in order to flee and establish a new life in Virginia.She also wanted to be sure Nicholas would accompany her there.”
He took a deep drink from his own glass.“I can only assume the others in the plot have discovered their danger.They are doubtless using Eleanor as a hostage to prevent Nicholas from passing on the papers when he gets them.Sir Lionel was doubtless their tool, for he has been involved in the plot for some time.”
“But why Amy?”demanded Mr.Lavering, knocking back his second glass of brandy.
“Unlucky coincidence, I should think.But it couldn’t have happened at a worse time.Tonight was the night fixed for Madame Bellaire to hand Nicholas all the information and for him to spirit her off to safety.It was to be the end.”
“But if the woman is to betray the conspirators, why not just kill her?”
“Good question.”Lord Middlethorpe frowned.“It could be that she has information they lack.She does appear to be the coordinator.But it is strange.”
“Then why not kill Delaney?”
